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It is a year of change for the Pittsburgh Steelers. From the moment that former head coach Mike Tomlin stepped down, everything leading up to now was set into motion. New head coach Mike McCarthy brough in new players, a brand new coaching staff and a whole new philosophy in all three phases.
The defense will once again be elite, loaded with talent but with training camp less than two weeks away, here are the burning questions we still have.
As much as we love the new additions the Steelers made in terms of personnel, it's the fact that Teryl Austin is gone that we are most excited about. Now DC in the NFL did less with more like Austin did and making the move to add new DC Patrick Graham alone might be enough to fix this defense.
The Steelers have three highly-paid edge defenders and he needs to sort out how he will use all three. T.J. Watt has already hinted he's willing to move around the formation to help but we want to see how they get Nick Herbig on the field after his $100 million extension alongside Watt and Alex Highsmith, not just as a backup.
Pittsburgh adding Jamel Dean gives the Steelers the best pair of cornerbacks in the AFC at a minimum and might be the best in the entire league. Add in Jalen Ramsey and this could be the strongest trio in the NFL. The upgrade of Dean is going to do as much to free up the pass rush as it will to improve coverage on the back end.
2025 was a down season for Cameron Heyward and it makes us wonder if he is finally backsliding at 37 years old. We want to see how much of Yahya Black and Sebastian Joseph-Day line up in Heyward's spot in training camp and the preseason to gauge if this might be part of an exit plan.
We have given this a lot of thought and there are really three names that immediately come to mind. Defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, edge defender Nick Herbig and linebacker Payton Wilson are the three guys we have the highest hopes for. We absolutely think Harmon is the best player of the three and is a star. But his impact isn't going to show up in the box score like Herbig's or Wilson's will.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers training camp: 5 burning questions on defense
Continue reading...
The defense will once again be elite, loaded with talent but with training camp less than two weeks away, here are the burning questions we still have.
Can the absence of Teryl Austin be enough?
As much as we love the new additions the Steelers made in terms of personnel, it's the fact that Teryl Austin is gone that we are most excited about. Now DC in the NFL did less with more like Austin did and making the move to add new DC Patrick Graham alone might be enough to fix this defense.
How will Patrick Graham use all three edge defenders?
The Steelers have three highly-paid edge defenders and he needs to sort out how he will use all three. T.J. Watt has already hinted he's willing to move around the formation to help but we want to see how they get Nick Herbig on the field after his $100 million extension alongside Watt and Alex Highsmith, not just as a backup.
Are Joey Porter Jr. and Jamel Dean the best CB tandem in the NFL?
Pittsburgh adding Jamel Dean gives the Steelers the best pair of cornerbacks in the AFC at a minimum and might be the best in the entire league. Add in Jalen Ramsey and this could be the strongest trio in the NFL. The upgrade of Dean is going to do as much to free up the pass rush as it will to improve coverage on the back end.
How much does Cameron Heyward have left?
2025 was a down season for Cameron Heyward and it makes us wonder if he is finally backsliding at 37 years old. We want to see how much of Yahya Black and Sebastian Joseph-Day line up in Heyward's spot in training camp and the preseason to gauge if this might be part of an exit plan.
How is the breakout star on this defense in 2026?
We have given this a lot of thought and there are really three names that immediately come to mind. Defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, edge defender Nick Herbig and linebacker Payton Wilson are the three guys we have the highest hopes for. We absolutely think Harmon is the best player of the three and is a star. But his impact isn't going to show up in the box score like Herbig's or Wilson's will.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers training camp: 5 burning questions on defense
Continue reading...
